User interface having reading lens

Abstract

A user interface, such as a graphical user interface or other electronic displayable interface, is contemplated. The user interface may include a reading lens portion configured to facilitate providing expanded viewing of content from other portions of the display. The reading lens portion may be displayed according to a non-linear timeline as to facilitate identifying upcoming contents without being constrained by a linear timeline used in other portions of the user interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A user interface operable to execute on a mobile device, the user interface operable to facilitate issuance of wireless command signals from the mobile device to an output device, the wireless command signals controlling the output device to tune to a television channel selected from a plurality of available television channels, the user interface operable to facilitate:
 rendering a graphical display; 
 graphically representing a first portion of the available television channels within a grid portion of the graphical display, the grid portion graphically representing television programs associated with the first portion of television channels according to a linear increment of time; 
 graphically representing a second portion of the plurality of available television channels within a reading lens portion of the graphical display, the reading lens portion graphically representing television programs associated with the second portion of television channels according to a non-linear increment of time; 
 determining the television channel to correspond with a selected portion of the graphical display, the selected portion corresponding with one of the first portion of television channels graphically represented within the grid portion and the second portion of television channels graphically represented within the reading lens portion; 
 performing a scrolling of television programs graphically represented within the graphical display in response to a directional dragging of one of the grid portion and the reading lens portion; 
 performing the scrolling according to the linear increment of time in the event the directional dragging begins within the grid portion and according to the non-linear increment of time in the event the directional dragging begins within the reading lens portion; 
 setting the non-linear increment of time according to the television program displayed at an area corresponding with a beginning of the directional dragging; and 
 setting the non-linear increment of time to be one hour in the event the television program displayed at the area has a remaining running time of one hour and setting the non-linear increment of time to be two hours in the event the remaining running time is two hours. 
 
     
     
       2. The graphical user interface of  claim 1  further comprising setting the linear increment of time to a fixed value regardless of a running length of the television program displayed at an area corresponding with a beginning of the directional dragging. 
     
     
       3. The graphical user interface of  claim 1  further comprising performing the scrolling such that television programs showing within both of the grid portion and the reading lens portion scroll at the same speed, the speed corresponding with the one of the linear increment of time and the non-linear increment of time corresponding with a beginning of the directional dragging. 
     
     
       4. The graphical user interface of  claim 1  further comprising scrolling a second television channel displayed within the grid portion to the reading lens portion, the second television channel displayed according to the non-linear increment of time when displayed within the reading lens portion. 
     
     
       5. The graphical user interface of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying each of the television programs within the grid portion within a separate grid cell, each grid cell being displayed with the same first height; and displaying each of the television programs within the reading lens portion within a separate reading lens cell, each reading lens cell being displayed with the same second height, the second height being greater than the first height such that each reading lens cell provides an expanded view of the corresponding television program. 
 
     
     
       6. The graphical user interface of  claim 5  further comprising displaying each grid cell with a width proportional to a running length of the corresponding television program. 
     
     
       7. The graphical user interface of  claim 5  further comprising displaying each reading lens cell with the same width regardless of the running length of the corresponding television program. 
     
     
       8. A method of facilitating selection of a television program comprising:
 representing television program information within a grid portion of a display, the grid portion displaying television program information within a corresponding one of a plurality of grid cells, each grid cell having a proportional width approximating a running length of a corresponding television program; 
 representing television program information within a reading lens portion of the display, the reading lens portion displaying television program information within a corresponding one of a plurality of reading lens cells, each reading lens cell having a fixed width, the fixed width being the same for each reading lens cell; and 
 determining the television program to correspond with a selected portion of the display; 
 performing a scrolling of television program information represented within the display in response to a directional dragging of one of the grid portion and the reading lens portion, the scrolling being performed differently depending on whether the directional dragging event begins within the grid portion or the reading lens portion; 
 performing the scrolling according to a fixed increment of time in the event the directional dragging begins within the grid portion and according to a dynamic increment of time in the event the directional dragging begins within the reading lens portion; and 
 performing the scrolling such that television program information showing within both of the grid portion and the reading lens portion scroll at the same speed, the speed corresponding with the one of the fixed or dynamic increment of time corresponding with where the directional dragging begins. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  further comprising setting the dynamic increment of time to be approximately equal to a remaining running length of the television program displayed at an area corresponding with a beginning of the directional dragging.